I came across an old funky looking board a while back, and thanks to several of you on here I found out it was a Diwain. I’m trying to get a little more information on it. does anyone know where the company was based? I assume it was west coast wanted to be clear. not lookin to sell it cause it probably aint worth much but i would like to know more about it.
any info on:
-cost?
-the metal fin?
-how much they weighed?(when i got it was waterlogged a little bit)
-what foam was used?
-how the glass was put on? was it two halves then glassed together or what?
-and has anyone ridden on if so how was it?
thanks guys any help would be greatly appreciated.
They were only in business for about two years. Roughly '62 to '64.Their big selling point was ding resistance. They were probably made by non-surfers, as the construction took precedence over performance. A pretty bad product, overall. I doubt it is water-logged. Old popouts were just plain heavy.
I don’t know about Diwain’s but I remember a board called “Diwan†it was made by non surfers “Dick and Wanda†hence the name Di-wan. They were fiberglass boat builders in a shop in the same industrial complex as my shop. They bought a board from me saying it was for their nephew. Then proceeded to make a mold of it. They laid up fiberglass in the two halves and then tried to blow foam into the closed mold. Being just fiberglass the mold just expanded and the board gained about an inch in thickness and developed a really round bottom. They tried to hide the seam by putting a bumper around the flange. When they went to the first surf show at the Santa Monica Civic. They would beat on the board with a 2x4 to show it’s strength. It turned into a un-surfable ugly beast and they never sold many boards.
Howzit Sammy, Actually they were made in Walnut Park just a few blocks from Huntington Park. They were on State street in a semi small building and the rubber rail seam covers were ugly. After they went out of business Eliminator Boats took over the spot untill they got to big and had to find a larger factory. I grew up in H.P. and Dewain surfboards was right around the corner from my girlfriends house. If I'm not wrong they were the boards in the first Beach Party movie.Aloha,Kokua
Sorry Ace, I haven’t posted in a long time and lost the touch. Anyway it’s nice to hear from you. The DiWan I’m talking about did happen in 60 or 61 in Redondo Beach. They may have moved it else where later but thats where it started.
Bing good to hear from you. There are some guys/gals that would REALLY APPRECIATE what you would be able to add to this forum. I know I would. You always gave me good advice. I would come back to work for you anytime.
Diwain, was at the 1st Surf-O-Rama that was held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, touted their surfboards as being ding proof and had brought a hammer and 2x4 to prove that their surfboard was ding proof if / when you hit it with either one. I was riding for Dewey Weber at the time and Diwain, had used a photo of myself, surfing 22nd St in Hermosa on a rather big left with the photo taken by LeRoy Grannis. Dewey told them that they’d have to find a different photo to use for their sales pamphlet. Diwains’ pop out lasted about 2-3 years and tanked.
Harold “Iggy” Ige, PPK & Donald Takayama, 1962 Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Surf-O-Rama. photo: LeRoy Grannis
Sammy ~ I knew Donald from small kid time in Waikiki and Ala Moana. He lived across Ala Moana Blvd before the Ilikai Hotel was built and Kaiser Hospital was located at the Ala Wai Boat Harbor. I knew of Harold but didn’t meet him untill I moved to California in 1959. I hung around Hap Jacobs new shop in Hermosa for a while when Kenny Tilton (from Hawaii) and Larry Felker was shaping for Hap, I moved in with Chubby Mitchill and Kimo Hollinger in Manhattan Beach when Chubby was cooking at a wonderful little Japanese restaurant called the Hibachi and Kimo was lifeguarding then. Hooked up with Donald later when I was going to high school and he began dating a girl I knew from Westchester. They later married, had two daughters and later divorced. Iggy, Donald, Dewey and myself lived briefly all together in Hermosa and then Dewey married later. Iggy married a girl from Culver City High School untill he passed, several years ago. I have very fond memories of both guys.
